Flagler firefighter shot in road rage incident gets charged

Friday

Feb 14, 2014 at 8:07 PMFeb 14, 2014 at 8:18 PM

A Flagler County firefighter shot in a road rage incident last spring turned himself in Thursday at the Putnam County Jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of throwing a deadly missile at an occupied vehicle.

By Tony Holttony.holt@news-jrnl.com

PALATKA — The shooting victim in a road rage incident last spring turned himself in Thursday at the Putnam County Jail after a warrant was issued for his arrest on a charge of throwing a deadly missile at an occupied vehicle.During the night of March 29, 2013, Jared Parkey was driving along U.S. 1 in St. Augustine Shores when he threw a water jug at an SUV driven by Nathaniel David Juratovac, according to court and arrest records.Both vehicles veered off the road and both drivers got out and confronted each other. Juratovac, a former Flagler Beach police officer, fired two rounds into Parkey’s chest and was arrested. Parkey, who was unarmed, survived his injuries and was released from the hospital the following morning.Authorities this week concluded Parkey, a Flagler County firefighter, was the instigator and should be charged criminally.“All along we (believed) there was culpability from both parties in this case,” said Cmdr. Chuck Mulligan, a spokesman with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. “Throwing the water (jug) was the catalyst behind all of this ... If the first thing doesn’t happen, the other thing doesn’t happen.”Mulligan said he didn’t know why Parkey, who lives in St. Augustine, surrendered in Putnam County but any suspect with an outstanding warrant can turn himself in at any jail in any county.On Jan. 24, Juratovac was sentenced to 51 months in prison after pleading no contest to one count of attempted manslaughter with a firearm.The judge in the case said before issuing the sentence that both men endangered their families and the community.Parkey, 31, and Juratovac, 41, each had his spouse and daughter in his vehicle that night.The incident began when Juratovac “brake-checked” Parkey for following too closely and Parkey retaliated by speeding past Juratovac’s vehicle, cutting into his lane and brake-checking him back, according to statements made in court by Juratovac’s attorney.After traveling another mile, Juratovac thought the incident was over, but Parkey re-emerged and threw the jug at Juratovac’s SUV, the attorney said.The two vehicles collided and swerved off the road. Juratovac said that area of U.S. 1 was dark and he couldn’t tell whether Parkey, who had gotten out of his vehicle, was armed. He feared for his and his family’s safety and pulled the trigger.“I believe I didn’t do anything differently that a husband or father in this situation would’ve done,” Juratovac said to the judge.Juratovac’s wife is a St. Johns County deputy. After her husband was led out of the courtroom in handcuffs last month, she stood up and told Assistant State Attorney Russell K. Bausch, the special prosecutor in the case, she was going to hold him to his promise.Bausch told The News-Journal after the sentencing hearing that he made no promises to the Juratovac family, but that he was still looking into the case.Bausch was unavailable for comment Friday.Parkey was released on $5,000 bail, according to Putnam County Jail records. He returned to work Friday and worked a full shift, said Flagler County Fire Chief Don Petito.When contacted by phone, Petito said he was unaware of Parkey’s charge.“To tell you the truth, I didn’t think it would happen,” said Petito of the arrest.The charge filed against Parkey is a second-degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

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